USA > Indiana > Hendricks County > History of Hendricks County, Indiana, her people, industries and institutions > Part 20
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DAVID A. HIGGINS.
It is a well authenticated fact that success comes as the result of legiti- mate and well applied energy, unflagging determination and perseverance in a course of action when once decided upon. She is never known to smile upon the idler or dreamer and she never courts the loafer, and only the men who have diligently sought her favor are crowned with her blessings. In tracing the history of David A. Higgins, of Danville, Hendricks county, Indiana, it is plainly seen that the success which he enjoys has been won by commendable qualities and it is also his personal worth that has gained for him the high esteem of those who know him.
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David A. Higgins, deputy state oil inspector, was born in Hendricks county, Indiana, June 30, 1850. His parents were Michael and Elizabeth (Plasters) Higgins, his father's birth having occurred in Putnam county, this state. He came to this county when he was a boy with his parents. His mother was born in Kentucky and came to this county with her parents when a small child. Michael Higgins was a farmer in Marion township, where he lived on the same farm until his death in 1904, at the age of eighty-one years. He was a member of the Christian church at New Winchester, and served as trustee of Marion township for three terms. His wife died at the age of sixty in 1882. They were the parents of six children: William, of Marion township; David A., the immediate subject of this sketch; Mary J .. wife of J. L. Wilson, of Marion township; Cassandra, wife of Henry Hunt ; Charles E., of Marion township, and May, the wife of Willard Kellum, who lives on the home farm in Marion township.
David .A. Higgins was reared on his father's farm and received the edu- cation which was afforded by the district schools of his home township. He had more than the ordinary taste for knowledge and after finishing the com- mon school course in his township, he attended the academy at Ladoga for two years when it was in charge of Professor M. B. Hopkins, later superin- tendent of instruction for Indiana. Upon the completion of his education he returned to his father's farm and followed agricultural pursuits until 1893. In addition to carrying on a general system of diversified farming he was actively engaged in the buying and shipping of live stock. In fact, this was the main source of his income. In 1893 he moved to Danville, where he engaged in the hardware business for the next ten years. In 1910 he was appointed deputy oil inspector for Indiana, a position which he is still filling.
Mr. Higgins has long been identified with the Democratic party in his county and his worth as a man is shown by the fact that he has been the county chairman of the Democratic central committee for the past eight years. Hendricks county was formerly Republican, but is now practically in the hands of the Democratic party, only two of the county officers being Republicans.
Mr. Higgins was married December 1, 1881, to Angeline Hunt, the daughter of Ithamer and Fanny Jane Hunt, who were also residents of Marion township. Mr. and Mrs. Higgins are faithful and consistent mem- bers of the Christian church at Danville and are generous in their support of its various activities. Mr. Higgins is a member of the order of Free and Accepted Masons. He has ever enjoyed the respect and esteem of those
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who know him because of his friendly manner, marked ability in public affairs and upright living, and he is regarded by all as one of the substantial and worthy citizens of this locality.
SILAS B. TROTTER.
One of the influential citizens of North Salem is the gentleman to whose career the attention of the reader is now directed, a man who is ranked with the city's leading merchants and representative citizens. A man of excellent endowments and upright character. he has been a valued factor in local af- fairs and has ever commanded unequivocal confidence and esteem, being loyal to the upbuilding of his community and ever vigilant in his efforts to further the interests of his eity along material, moral and civic lines.
Silas B. Trotter, of the firm of Trotter Brothers, of North Salem, was born in Eel River township, in this county, on March 16, 1861, and is the son of William W. and Naney E. (Keith ) Trotter, whose family history is given elsewhere in this volume.
Silas B. Trotter was given a good practical education and continued to reside on the home farm until 1886, at which time he went to the state of Missouri, where he spent one year, being employed in the railway round house. He then returned to North Salem and took up the study of teleg- raphy, and from 1890 to 1904 was a telegraph operator on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railway at Montelair, Dana and North Salem. In 1904 he went to Rush county, in this state, and engaged in the mercantile business until 1907. On April Ist of that year he and his brother, Oliver W., formed a partnership in North Salem, and have continued there in busi- ness under the firm name of Trotter Brothers until the present time. They handle dry goods, shoes and millinery and have built up a large and lucrative trade in the town 'and vicinity, owing to their courteous and gentlemanly treatment of their patrons. They purchased this business of Bymaster & Company, a firm which had been established in North Salem for twenty years in the same line. Since taking over this business they have doubled the amount of stock in different lines and have improved the store in various ways. In 1912 they erected a new briek store room, into which they moved in January, 1913.
Silas B. Trotter was married in 1894 to Louisa J. Pritchett, the daugh- ter of Thomas C. and Mary (Stigleman) Pritchett. Her father was a farm-
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er and one of the early settlers of the county, having come here in 1826, when he was less than one year old. His parents were natives of Kentucky, and made the overland trip from that state to this county on horseback. Mr. and Mrs. Trotter are the parents of one daughter, Mary Geraldine.
Fraternally, Mr. Trotter is a member of the order of Free and Accepted Masons, while religiously, he and his wife are both loyal members of the Christian church of North Salem, and are regarded by all with confidence and esteem in the community in which they live.
OTIS E. GULLEY.
In no profession is there a career more open to talent than is that of the law, and in no field of endeavor is there demanded a more careful prep- aration, a more thorough appreciation of the absolute ethics of life or of the underlying principles which form the basis of all human rights and privileges. Unflagging application and intuitive wisdom and determination fully to utilize the means at hand are the concomitants which insure personal success and prestige in this great profession, which stands as the stern conservator of justice, and it is one into which none should enter without a recognition of the obstacles to be encountered and overcome and the battles to be won. Success does not perch on the banner of every person who enters the compet- itive fray, but comes only as the legitimate result of capability. Possessing all of these requisite qualities which stamp the able lawyer, Otis E. Gulley stands today among the eminent practitioners of Hendricks county.
Otis E. Gulley, one of Danville's best lawyers and president of the board of trustees of Central Normal College, is a native of the county, having been born at North Salem on March 22, 1867. Reared to the life of a farmer's boy, he knows what kind of a life the farmer leads and this has been no small factor in his success as an attorney. The farmer in search of legal advice feels that he can have a sympathetic helper in Mr. Gulley and he finds that he is not mistaken. Mr. Gulley received his elementary education in the com- mon schools of his township and in preparing himself for teaching he at- tended Franklin College for one term. He came to Danville in 1891 and was shortly after admitted to the practice of law and has continued to fol- low that profession, for which he seems to be especially gifted. He is pe- culiarly gifted in the capacity of the investigator who is never satisfied until he gets to the bottom of things. He goes around, under, over or
От Е. Упену.
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through obstacles, revolutionizing his methods if the old ways do not meet the exigencies of the situation. Old ways may do for some men, but if a new way is better he digs it up out of the limitless field of opportunity and presses it into service. His philosophy is that there is a way to do every- thing if the way can but be found.
Mr. Gulley's life has been a busy one and he has had discouragements and disappointments to meet many times. Starting out as a school teacher at seventeen, he has received his education with his work. He lived in Arkansas two years and was living in that state in 1890 when the United States census was taken. He was census supervisor of the second district, which covered about half of the state. Coming back to Danville, he was elected to the office of county prosecutor two terms and was one of the best prosecutors the county ever had.
Mr. Gulley was married in 1895 to Mary Tilford, of Martinsville, Indiana, and has a handsome home two and a half miles east of Danville. Mrs. Gulley died on July 2, 1907. He is a loyal member of the Christian church and is interested in the many activities of that society. He was a stanch Republican and his high standing among the men of the state is shown in the fact that he was nominated on the Republican ticket, in 1910, for secretary of state. At the organization of the Progressive party, he became actively identified with that organization, by which he was honored with a nomination for Congress. In his fraternal relations he is a member of the Knights of Pythias, a thirty-second-degree Mason and a Mystic Shriner. He has been the president of the board of trustees of the Central Normal College for some years and takes a very active interest in the affairs of that institution. A man of sterling qualities, his honest and strictly square deal- ings, his upright principles and genial disposition have won for him numer- ous friends throughout the community in which he lives.
JOHN A. SHOWALTER.
The following is a sketch of a plain, honest man of affairs who by cor- rect methods and a strict regard for the interests of his patrons has made his influence felt in Danville and won for himself distinctive prestige in the professional circles of that city. He would be the last man to sit for romance or become the subject of fancy sketches, nevertheless his life pre-
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sents much that is interesting and valuable and may be studied with profit by the young, whose careers are yet to be achieved. He is one of those whose integrity and strength of character must force them into an admirable notoriety which their modesty never seeks, who command the respect of their contemporaries and their posterity and leave the impress of their individuality deeply stamped upon the community.
John A. Showalter, of the firm of Shirley & Showalter, was born in Henry county, Indiana, seven miles west of Newcastle, on July 15, 1854. His parents were Ashbury and Susan Ruth (Cooper) Showalter, the father being a native of Indiana, and the mother of Ohio. Ashbury Showalter was a contractor and is now living retired in Kennard, Henry county, Indiana. His wife died in 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Ashbury Showalter were the parents of five children, all of whom are living: John A. Showalter, the oldest of the family and the immediate subject of this sketch; Mrs. Anna Bouslog, of Kennard, Indiana; Mrs. Mary Cook, of Newcastle, Indiana; R. R. Showalter, of Knightstown, Indiana, and Ada, who lives with her father in Kennard.
J. A. Showalter received his common school education in the district schools of Henry county, Indiana, and when a mere boy, began clerking in a grocery store near his home. In 1880, when he was twenty-six years of age, he came to Danville, where he became a member of the firm of Shirley, Showalter & McCoun. The business was conducted under this name for about four years and a half, at the expiration of which time the firm name was changed to Shirley, Showalter & Company, Mr. McCoun retiring from the firm. This firm, starting in a modest way, has expanded both in size and stock until it is now one of the leading stores in Danville. The company employs a large number of clerks and the stock is one of the largest and most complete in its line to be found in any city the size of Danville. Courtesy and an evident desire to please all who patronize the store have been the strongest elements in the success which has accompanied the firm's efforts, and it has enjoyed at all times the full confidence of all who have done busi- ness with it.
Mr. Showalter was married September 10, 1891, to Belle C. Conrad, of Florence, Boone county, Kentucky, and to this union there has been born one child. Mary Agnes. Mr. and Mrs. Showalter are devoted and consistent members of the Christian church, of which denomination Mr. Showalter has been a deacon for many years. Politically, he is an earnest supporter of the Republican party, but his business interests have precluded his taking an active part in political affairs. Mr. Showalter is regarded as a good business
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man and excellent manager, and a man who possesses sound judgment and foresight, and who believes in ever pressing forward. so that his success is but the legitimate result of the efforts which he puts forth. He enjoys the respect and esteem of those with whom he mingles for his friendly manner, his business ability, his interest in public affairs and his upright living. He is regarded by all as one of the substantial and worthy citizens of the city honored by his residence.
EDWARD V. RAGLAND.
It is not an easy task to describe adequately a man who has led an eminently active and busy life and who has attained a position of relative distinction in the community with which his interests are allied. But biog- raphy finds its most perfect justification, nevertheless, in the tracing and re- cording of such a life history. It is, then, with a full appreciation of all that is demanded and of the painstaking scrutiny that must be accorded each state- ment, and yet with a feeling of satisfaction, that the writer essays the task of touching briefly upon the details of such a record as has been that of Edward V. Ragland whose eminently successful career is now under review.
Edward V. Ragland, a prominent real estate and loan agent of Dan- ville, Indiana, was born February 27, 1863, in the southwestern corner of Marion township, Hendricks county, Indiana. His parents were James and Ann (Cord) Ragland, his father being a native of this county, born March 28, 1838. The parents of James Ragland were Dudley and Ailsey (Flynn) Ragland, both of whom were born and reared in Kentucky, near Winchester. Dudley Ragland and wife came from Kentucky to Hendricks county in pioneer time and located on the Rockville road in the eastern edge of Marion township, where Dudley Ragland kept a tavern in the early days. Later he sold this farm and bought a farm near Reno, in the southwestern corner of Marion township, and later bought a farm three miles southwest of Coates- ville on which he lived until his death. James Ragland was born in Marion township, and upon reaching man's estate he was married to Ann Cord, the daughter of John and Christine (Caywood) Cord. Her parents were front New England, but came to this county early in their married life and lived here the remainder of their lives. In 1868 James Ragland and wife moved to Illinois and remained there nine years. They then came back and bought
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a farm in Morgan county, just south of the Hendricks county line and have lived in that neighborhood ever since.
Edward V. Ragland was reared on his father's farm and remained there until his marriage. He completed his education in the common schools in this county and then attended the Indiana State Normal at Terre Haute, after which he taught for nine years in Morgan and Putnam counties, Indiana, and in Edgar county, Illinois. He retired from his teaching profession in 1891 and engaged in the general merchandise business at Broad Park, a village in the eastern part of Putnam county, which he named. There he built up a lucrative business and remained two years, whereupon he and the man with whom he had gone into partnership dissolved and he moved his stock to Lake Valley in the northwestern part of Morgan county, where he remained for the next five years, three of which he was postmaster. In 1899 he sold his store to S. M. Johnson and after a one year's residence at Martinsville, where he dealt in live stock, he bought a farm in Franklin township in Hendricks county, where he resided three and one-half years. His wife owned a farm in the immediate vicinity, part of the farm known as the Green Valley farm. In February, 1904, Mr. Ragland moved to Danville and engaged in the real estate, loan and insurance business, which he has followed up to the present time. In this line of work he has been uniformly successful, listing valuable property and building up a loan and insurance business which is netting him very handsome returns. Nearly all his life Mr. Ragland has engaged in dealing in horses, even while principally interested in other lines of business. He is a breeder of high-grade road horses and owns some fine animals at the present time.
While attending the State Normal at Terre Haute, Mr. Ragland became acquainted with Rusha E. Hadley, the daughter of Jehu and Jerusha ( Stiles) Hadley, and before moving to Martinsville they were married. Jehu Hadley was one of the most prominent farmers of Hendricks county. He was born in Chatham county, North Carolina, October 19, 1810, and in 1825 went with his parents, James T. and Mary (Richardson ) Hadley, to Hendricks county and located in Center township. He was married August 3, 1837, to Jerusha Stiles, who was born July 18, 1819, in Vermont, the daughter of Jeremiah and Sibyl Stiles. Her father was the founder of Stilesville, locating there in 1821. Mrs. Stiles died in 1828 and was the first married woman who died there. Mr. Stiles was married again and shortly afterward died of cholera at Savannah, Missouri. In March, 1838, Jehu Hadley bought three hundred and twenty acres in section 11, Franklin township, which at that time wir-
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a swamp. The only arable part of his farm was covered with a heavy growth of timber, and many of the old settlers pronounced the farm valueless and predicted starvation for the owner, but they did not reckon with the industry and perseverance of Jehu Hadley. By incessant toil and energy he cleared the farm and drained the swamp, putting in two thousand rods of tile drain- age and four hundred rods of open ditches, in addition to building a mile of levee on Mill creek, which ran through the farm. It is today known as the Green Valley Farm and is one of the show places of the county. A fine park containing an amphitheatre is on the farm and for the past thirteen years the old settlers have held their reunions there, as many as six thousand persons being present on these annual occasions. Mr. Hadley owned, at one time, six hundred and fifty acres, nearly all of which he had brought under cultivation. In 1876 he built a beautiful brick residence, probably the most costly country home in Hendricks county, costing him over ten thousand dollars. He was widely known and well respected for his many fine qualities of character. He was not only just, but a man who was generosity itself. Honorable him- self, he never distrusted another man, till proved unworthy of trust. . He was strong in his likes and in his dislikes, too, and yet a charitable man who was always true to his friends. He died in 1891 and his wife seven years later. He belonged to the Christian church and his wife to the Missionary Baptist.
Rusha E. Hadley was born in Danville, where she attended the public school, and later the State Normal, where she and her husband became ac- quainted. After leaving the State Normal School she taught for two years, making a very creditable record as a teacher. Mr. and Mrs. Ragland have two children, Sibyl, age twelve, and Christine, age eight. Christine, although only eight years of age, is an expert little horsewoman and has been entered as a pony rider in girls' riding contests since she was a very small girl. She has already participated in four horse shows and in each she won the first premium. In speaking of the event at Greencastle, where she was entered, the Indianapolis Star said, "The entry that attracted the most atten- tion was one where the girl riders were under fourteen years of age. The prize was won by Christine Ragland of Danville, who is only eight years of age. The little girl rode a black shetland pony and took the crowd by storm. She rode like a veteran, and, indeed she is, having taken three other prizes by her riding." She rode several times around the public square at break-neck speed and thrilled the crowd by her daring.
Mr. and Mrs. Ragland are both members of the Missionary Baptist
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church at Stilesville and are generous in their support of their favored denom- ination. Since moving to Danville they have won a host of friends who ad- mire them for their many qualities of head and heart. They are interested in all public enterprises which tend to promote the welfare of the town, and are considered valuable acquisitions to the society of Danville.
A. P. W. BRIDGES, M. D.
In this day of specialization the world demands experts in every line and he who would make the most pronounced success along any particular line of endeavor must concentrate all of his time, attention and energy on his chosen field. In the field of medicine the work of the old family doctor is now in the hands of a hundred different specialists, each treating some particular ailment and no others. There has also arisen within the last twenty-five years a new field in the department of therapeutics and medicine and one which is of great importance. This new departure will not only be the means of saving the health of hundreds of thousands of people, but it has an influence which will affect the very life of the nation itself, striking as it does at the foundations of our social fabric. The home, the school, the industrial world and every phase of society is going to be changed for the better because of this new phase of the medical profession.
Inebriety is now recognized as a disease and there has been discovered by Dr. Leslie E. Keeley, a treatment which, properly administered, results in a complete relief from the craving or appetite for alcohol and narcotics. Nearly half a million persons have been treated within the last twenty-five years and the success which has attended the use of Dr. Keeley's remedies has made his name a household word in thousands of homes. For the past twenty-three years there has been a branch of the Keeley Institute at Plainfield, Indiana, and during all but five years of that time it has been under the charge of Dr. A. P. W. Bridges, who has achieved a notable success in handling thousands of cases of inebriety and morphineism.
Dr. Bridges, the son of Rev. M. C. and Sophia J. (Doyle) Bridges, was born September 27, 1856, in Owen county, Indiana. His father was a native of Indiana and his mother of North Carolina. Rev. Bridges was born near Abington, Wayne county, his ancestors having come to Indiana from Virginia by way of Kentucky. They settled in Wayne county in the
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twenties and in the thirties moved to Owen county and lived there the re- mainder of their days, the father dying in 1900 at the age of seventy-five, the mother having passed away several years before. They reared a large family of children, but Dr. Bridges is the only one living.
Dr. Bridges received a good common school education and then took the course in the Indiana Medical College, at Indianapolis, graduating from that institution in the spring of 1892. He started to practice at Cloverdale, Indiana, and shortly afterwards removed to Alaska, Morgan county, where he remained until he took charge of the Keeley Institute at Plainfield. Under his efficient administration the institute has made a steady growth and is now recognized as one of the best in the United States. In 1912 the buildings were completly overhauled and put in first class condition in every particular.
Dr. Bridges was first married to Emma F. Alverson, of Spencer, In- diana, in 1883, and to this union there were born five children: Ralph, who is a graduate of Depauw and Indiana Universities, and is now a professional chemist, at Plainfield; Alta, who is a graduate of Depauw University, and now a teacher in the high school, at Plainfield; and three who are still at home, Joyce. Willard and James. Mrs. Bridges died in April, 1908, and January 7, 1913, Dr. Bridges married Minnie Morgan, of Plainfield, to which union Ruth Adelaide was born, February 19, 1914.
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